Stranger

by Bryant, S. J.

  "Let's try that again," Toro said. "Open your ship."

  A calm chill spread through Nova's veins as a plan formed in her mind. "I can't," she said between breaths.

  "Explain."

  "I don't have authority to open it. That's Orion."

  Toro frowned. "Your companion?"

  Nova nodded, still clutching her stomach.

  "Then you will tell us how it works."

  Nova took a deep breath and stood upright. "I can't do that either. Tanguin is the engineer. I just fly the ship."

  "What about the weapons?" Toro said, desperation creeping into his voice.

  "Tyra and Gus."

  "Communication systems."

  "Aart."

  Nova stared stonily at Toro, refusing to let any emotion show on her face.

  "Each of you operates a different part of the ship," Toro said slowly.

  "Of course."

  Toro's jaw twitched as he turned to Nova's guards. "Send word. Bring the others here. Do not let them escape."

  The guard on Nova's right nodded and hurried from the room.

  "When they get here, you will—"

  A loud buzz cut Toro short and the far wall of the lab flickered, changing from plain white to the face of a man.

  Toro's jaw clenched and he marched towards it.

  "Buta," he said, voice level.

  "Toro," Buta replied. He had a round face and a scar running along his cheek.

  "It's an honour to talk to you," Toro said.

  Nova frowned. She was under the impression that Toro and Buta hated each other and yet here they were acting like friendly acquaintances.

  "Oh the honour is all mine. I thought you might have trouble contacting me so I called you to save you the effort."

  "Very considerate of you," Toro said. "Although there was no need. I am more than happy to contact you whenever I require."

  "So good to hear. I'm sorry about what happened to Omi's house. These brigands are getting worse every year."

  "Quite right. In fact, I was hoping you would come to the Capital and we could discuss the brigand problem together, perhaps come up with a solution?"

  "Oh, you know I would love to visit you in the Capital but I'm afraid my family is very ill."

  "I'm sorry to hear that," said Toro. "Perhaps if you brought them to the Capital we could find a cure?"

  "Thank you for such a generous offer, but my medicine man assures me that they'll be better in a few weeks."

  "Ah, you can visit then!" Toro said, holding his hands out.

  Buta nodded "Perhaps I can. Of course that is if war hasn't come to Chindo."

  Toro's hands dropped to his sides and his voice got softer. "Are you threatening me?"

  "Of course not!" Buta said, his eyes like hard pieces of flint. "I just meant if these bandits get out of hand."

  "Of course," Toro said. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Although if it does, I'm more than prepared for any kind of attack."

  "Ah, best not let confidence blind you. The bandits may have technology you're not expecting."

  Tension hung in the air, so thick Nova could feel it suffocating her.

  "I'm sure I can handle it," Toro said.

  "Of course," Buta said. "I am very sorry to go, but I should take care for my family."

  "Give them my best."

  "And to yours."

  The screen flickered and disappeared, returning to a plain, white wall. As soon as Buta's face faded, Toro's shoulders dropped and he whirled on the nearest scientists.

  "How did he make a connection straight to me?"

  "He must have an internal communicator," a man in a white coat replied, staring at his feet.

  "Well get that line secured!" Toro bellowed. "And track where he was communicating from."

  "Yes, Sir."

  Toro rounded on her. "He'll attack within the week. It would be in your best interests to help me defeat him."

  Nova gazed at Toro. It was like picking the best side of a rotten apple; either way she'd end up with a foul taste in her mouth. Even beneath his polite exterior there was hardness in Buta's eyes, a cruelty. On the other hand, Toro had a cruel streak as well. Both of them were capable of murder, and she couldn't see how she could pick between them. She also didn't see why she had to; if she could get Crusader and get free then everything would be fine.

  Nova's thoughts turned to Meeka and Gin and the others she'd met on Chindo. There were certainly some that she wouldn't shed a tear for, if they were caught in the crossfire; Omi and Toro among them. But then she couldn't imagine leaving Meeka to survive a war, only to live out her hellish life here on Chindo.

  "Bring my companions here, and we'll open the ship," Nova said, keeping her face straight.

  "Fine. Then you will stay in your cell until you're of use to me."

  Toro waved to his guards who took a firm hold of Nova's arms and dragged her away to the prison. They tossed her into her cell and marched away.

  "Welcome back," said Gin.

  "Good to be home," Nova said, pushing herself off of the floor and wiping her hands on her pants.

  "He didn't kill you then."

  "Not yet," Nova replied. "He got a call from Buta though."

  Gin audibly spat at the ground. "He's a pig. He was a young man when I was thrown in here and he was scum even then."

  "Toro thinks he'll attack within a week."

  "It's about time. That's been brewing for years."

  "I thought Toro kept everyone in the dark ages. But Buta had a communicator."

  "Ah yes," Gin said, bouncing her head up and down. "Buta's father used to work here in the Capital. I don't know exactly what happened but he got power hungry and ran off with a bunch of followers and a truck of technology. They've been building an army ever since."

  "So if they attack, it won't be with swords," Nova said.

  "Of course not," Gin replied. "If they attack it's going to be a blood bath."

  Nova sighed and sank to the floor. "My companions are being brought to the city, but we can't stop a war."

  "Let them kill each other," a new voice echoed out of the shadows on Nova's other side.

  She whipped around to stare into the darkness.

  "Let them burn each other up, then maybe we'll get free," the shadow said.

  "What's your name?" Nova said, squinting into the darkness.

  "Blade."

  "Some of them don't deserve to burn," Nova said, thinking of Meeka.

  "Collateral damage."

  Nova couldn't argue; she'd had similar thoughts since landing on Chindo and Blade had been trapped years longer than she had.

  "There are some I would save," Nova said.

  The shadow moved and out of the darkness stepped a woman. She had deep blue skin, almost black, that shimmered in the dim lights. She wore a simple brown dress covered in dirt and ripped almost to shreds. Her black hair hung in a braid over her shoulder.

  Blade wrapped her fingers around the bars separating their cells. "We won't get a say in the matter."

  "I'm not going to sit and do nothing," Nova said. "If you help then I'll make sure you get back to your home planet."

  "My ship was destroyed years ago. There's no way for me to leave."

  "I'll take you," Nova said. She stared directly into Blade's black eyes, and the other woman stared straight back.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  "Oh good, another bloody prison!" Aart's familiar voice boomed through the cells.

  Nova sprung to her feet and ran to the front of her cell. The guards led a line of familiar faces that made Nova's heart swell.

  Aart sauntered at the front, surveying the cells as if he was looking for a new house. Gus walked behind him, scanning each cell as they passed by. The corner of Tyra's mouth lifted as she watched Aart, while Tanguin shuffled behind them. She looked thin and pale but still better than the last time Nova had seen her. Finally, limping and leaning heavily to one side, came Orion. He gripped a crutch and he w
as breathing hard by the time he got level with Nova's cell.

  "In," the guard said, pulling open the door to Nova's cell.

  The Hunters grinned at Nova and poured into the cell as if it was a pleasure ship. The guard slammed the gate shut behind them as they took it in turns to wrap Nova in warm hugs.

  "You know," Aart said. "I don't know if this is an improvement."

  Nova punched him in the arm and grinned. "It's a step. Crusader and the other ships are upstairs."

  "You found them!" Tanguin said.

  "Yep. Toro wants us to open them up though, he wants to steal the technology."

  "Toro?" Aart said.

  Nova waved her hand. "King of this God-forsaken planet. It's a long story."

  "Aren't you going to introduce us?" Gin said.

  It took a second for Nova to process that the Hunters were still talking common-tongue whilst Gin had spoken the native language of Chindo. With Nova's translation chip she barely noticed the change in languages but the two groups wouldn't be able to understand a word.

  "Of course," Nova said, speaking to Gin. "Gin, this is Aart, Gus, Tyra, Tanguin, and Orion."

  Nova pointed to each of them in turn and they nodded their heads towards Gin.

  "That's Gin, and that's Blade," Nova said, gesturing to each cell. "They want out of here as much as we do."

  "I don't blame them," Aart said, looking around. "It's a bit depressing isn't it?"

  "Try it for twenty years," Blade said from her shadowed cell.

  Aart's eyebrows shot up as he gazed at her. "You can speak the common-tongue?"

  "Well enough," Blade said, "Although it's been a while."

  "Blade is from another planet," Nova said. "Captured here just like us."

  "Sorry to hear it," Aart said.

  "Okay, so what exactly are we planning to do when this Toro asks us to open the ship?"

  "I don't know," Nova said. "I was hoping you would come up with something."

  "Cal's still active?" Gus said.

  "Yeah."

  "Fire up the ship's weapons," Gus said. "Light the building up."

  Nova tapped her chin, considering the plan. It was probably the best option they had so far. It was risky though; there was no telling what technology Toro might have. Although, she reasoned, if he hadn't found a way into the ships yet then he probably wasn't ahead of them.

  "That could work," she said. "They're in a lab though, so we'd have to be careful."

  "Don't forget the war that's coming," Blade added.

  "War?" Tanguin said.

  "Yeah, you know when the village was attacked by those hooded people? Turns out there's another nutcase on this planet looking to take control. He's planning to attack here in the next couple of days."

  "That would explain all the tanks," Gus said.

  "Tanks?"

  "The streets were full of them," Tyra said. "The car that was driving us had to stop and we walked most of the way."

  "Toro didn't waste any time…" Nova said.

  "So what?" Gus said. "We get to the ships and get off of this planet before war breaks out?"

  "That would be nice," Nova said. "But there's someone I need to save. And I don't know if the ships are repaired yet. Cal and I didn't have much of a chance to talk."

  "I hope your robot is more competent than he sounds," Aart said. "That out-of-date thing doesn't fill me with confidence."

  "You'll eat those words when Cal saves our arses," Nova said.

  "When do you think Toro will summon us?"

  "Damned if I know—"

  Nova was cut off by a sudden boom that rocked the foundations of the prison and sent pieces of loose concrete tumbling out of the walls and ceiling. Chunks clattered to the floor and exploded into small pieces of dirt.

  "What the hell was that?" Aart said.

  His words were followed by another barrage. Distant booms filled the air followed by vibrations that sent cracks racing across the prison walls.

  "It's beginning," Gin said.

  "We have to get out," Nova said. "The middle of a war is the perfect time for us to get away."

  Tyra ran to the gate and examined the door mechanism. "Internal computerised lock. Pity the computer's not nearby, Tanguin could probably knock it over in five seconds."

  Another booming shudder knocked Nova off her feet and she landed hard on her hip.

  "Can you open it or not?" Orion said, his face a grimace as he leant against the wall.

  "Yeah, yeah," Tyra said. She pulled a small ball of grey putty out of her pocket and jammed it against the edge of the door. "Step back."

  Nova and the others backed to the far wall while Tyra held a lighter to the putty and waited for it to catch fire. As soon as the spark caught, she dove away towards the back of the cell.

  The putty fizzed and then exploded, sending out a bright flash of light and a loud shudder that buckled the metal gate.

  "Bloody hell," Nova said. "Where'd you find that?"

  "Made it," Tyra said with a grin. "I've been collecting materials since we landed."

  "Have you got enough for the rest of us?" Blade said.

  "You bet," Tyra replied, running to the next cell.

  Gin grinned at Nova. "I'm glad your friends got here."

  "You want out too?" Nova asked.

  "Is Chindo round?" Gin said as way of reply.

  It took less than two minutes for Tyra to blow off the remaining doors and then they were running from the prison. Nova led the way up past the other levels, straight to the lab.

  Chaos reigned through the corridors, with people running and yelling in all directions, paying no attention to the silent group that scurried up from the prisons.

  Two guards stood in front of the doors wearing body armour and open-faced helmets. As soon as Nova came into view, they drew their weapons and fired.

  The Hunters rolled to either side of the corridor, dodging fire. Gin stayed back behind the corner, her arthritic hands curled into fists.

  As soon as the gunfire fell silent, Blade dashed forward, faster than any human Nova had ever seen. Her dark skin created a blur against the metal corridors as she sprinted straight at the guards. They set their weapons on her but too slow. Before they had time to fire, Blade crashed into the leftmost guard and they both toppled to the ground.

  The guard still standing waved his gun in the air, trying to get a clear shot, but Blade moved too quickly. Nova darted forward, accompanied by Gus and Tyra. Gus reached the standing guard first; he pulled back his fist and slammed it into the side of the man's head

  The guard's head snapped to the side with a crack and he stumbled backwards.

  "Shit!" Gus roared, hugging his hand to his chest. His fingers were already turning purple from where he'd hit the man's helmet.

  Nova ran around Gus and kicked the guard's chest, sending him sprawling to the floor. She dropped down next to him, grabbed hold of his gun and yanked it out of his hand. She brought the weapon to her shoulder, aimed, and fired. A blast of yellow light shot out and engulfed the guard's chest.

  The glow vanished, leaving a gaping hole where his lungs should have been.

  Nova rounded on the other guard and Blade who were still rolling on the floor. His gun lay forgotten on the ground, Nova kicked it towards Tyra who grabbed it off the floor and trained it on the two bodies on the ground.

  "Blade, get out of the way," Nova yelled.

  Blade gave no indication that she'd heard. She tucked her leg behind the guard's body and rolled him over so that she was sitting on his chest. She grappled with the straps of his helmet while his hands clenched around her face, his fingers seeking her eyeballs.

  With a click his helmet fell free, revealing a red-faced man, mouth twisted with fury. As soon as the helmet popped off, Blade drew back her fist and slammed it into his face. She pummelled him again and again until his hands fell limply by his sides and then she kept punching. Fountains of blood spurted out of his face and spattered her tattered c
lothes.

  "Blade! He's down," Nova said.

  She lurched forward and took hold of Blade's upper arm, pulling her away from the body. Blade resisted at first, getting two more punches in before finally allowing herself to be dragged away.

  Nova caught a glimpse of the man's mangled face; he wasn't going to be getting up.

  Gin and the others caught up and they went into the lab together. Each of them breathed a sigh of relief when they caught sight of the ships.

  "Cal, please tell me you've got the systems repaired," Nova said.

  "Confirmed," Cal replied. "It's mostly masking tape and blue-tac but it should hold together."

  "It'll do," Nova said, dashing forward with the others.

  They were nearly at Crusader's main entrance when footsteps erupted through the lab and a cold, familiar voice spoke from behind Nova.

  "I knew you'd come straight here," Toro said.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Nova whipped around to face him, aiming her gun at his face. "We're leaving."

  Toro had ten guards with him, all of them aiming guns at the Hunters.

  "No, you're not. You will open that ship and help me destroy Buta."

  "You're not getting inside," Nova said, her finger closing around the trigger.

  "Open it now or my guards will start shooting."

  The guard nearest to Gin stepped forward and pressed the barrel of his gun against her wrinkled forehead.

  Nova bit her lip. Both she and Tyra had guns, with the two of them shooting they could maybe take out five of the guards before the others could respond, but by then it would be too late. She looked at her fellow Hunters, their expressions hopeless.

  "Crusader open the door," Nova said out-loud.

  The door hissed as it slid open.

  "Beautiful!" Toro said.

  He pushed past his guards, and Nova, and stepped up into Crusader's engine room. He ran his hands over the pipes and wires that kept the ship going. He turned to face them, his eyes shining. "Hurry up! We have a war to win!"

  Nova reluctantly climbed in after him, followed by the others. Toro's guards kept close to him, their guns drawn.